Bears pinpoint roots of defensive issues but can they be fixed?

The big plays given up by the Bears in their loss to Green Bay made a huge impact.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and his players realize they need to clean up the communication and mental errors in their secondary to prevent those this week against the Browns. It goes beyond this, however.

The smaller plays leading up to bigger plays need to go, as well. The Packers converted 8 of 12 on third down largely because they could due to shorter distances to the sticks.

“We’ve got to do a better job of getting teams to the longer distances," Allen said. "When you're playing games and you're living in that third-and-2-to-3 world, it makes it a lot more difficult (to stop).

If you exclude turnovers, the Bears have been one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

31st in opponent EPA/Play
29th in opponent Success Rate pic.twitter.com/deyhaHtVwr
— Iain MacMillan (@IainMacBets) December 11, 2025

"So, early down success, first and second down success, generally, when you're able to have success on first and second down and get into the third and longer situations, it's advantageous to the defense.”

The Packers had a high success rate on plays, or in other words, first-down plays accounting for 40% of the needed distance to the sticks, second downs to 60% and third and fourth down to the sticks. It meant friendly yardage totals needed to move the sticks.

🚨Do NOT Write Off Kyler Gordon🚨

He is an ELITE DB who plays like a Linebacker in the box and can cover like a shutdown CB
Elite Athleticism, incredible blitzer,
With Kyler - Top 5 Defense
Without Kyler - Bottom 5 Defense

Injuries happen in the #NFL RELAX #Bears pic.twitter.com/bZYpNRkhWF
— Swift Sports Network (@SwiftyNetwork) December 11, 2025

"I think looking at the last game, Green Bay was eight-of-12 on third downs, I think seven of those third downs were 3 (yards) and less," safety Kevin Byard said. "So that means that they were really good on first and second downs.

"We had to be better on early downs to be able to get guys in the third-and-long because we're really good on third-and-long. I just think those are a couple things we have to button up."

Another issue is the lack of a lockdown cornerback. It's especially necessary because they struggle so much with the pass rush. If not for Montez Sweat and his 8 1/2 sacks, they're not getting pressure required to force ill-advised throws.

jaylon johnson showing why you let older CB walk no matter how good they are
they miss half the year & come back playing like this #DaBears #Beardown pic.twitter.com/zQN1Pc1lkA
— Jimbo (@JimbosJunkbox) December 7, 2025

They had a lockdown cornerback the last few years in Jaylon Johnson. Back the last two games from core muscle surgery, Johnson just isn't the same player. It's going to take time.

“I think he's getting closer and closer each and every week," Allen said. "When you look at it and you think about a guy that really hadn't played a lot of football, basically in about a year, it takes a little bit of time to get back to where you need to be.

It makes me SO SAD to say this......but Jaylon Johnson needs to go back to IR.

IDC if you mad....but it's the truth.
— Bear Soldier (@BearSoldier13) December 8, 2025

"So, he's working extremely hard to do that. We'll get out here and practice today and see where we're at, but I'm pleased with the progress that he's making.”

It goes back to a root problem the Bears have of not being overly effective against the run on first and second downs.

"Then obviously late in the year you’ve got to be able to stop the run," Byard said. "Teams are going to want to be able to run the ball and have play-action off of that.

"So, stopping the run first and foremost to be able to have the opportunity to defend guys on third down."

It's a plan for improvement, but not every team the Bears play is capable of attacking them like Green Bay did.

Then again, they're at a point in their schedule where three teams left can, and the team they play Sunday might lack a record for past success but has moved it effectively since Shedeur Sanders became Cleveland's starting quarterback.

The bottom line is the Bears have ways to improve to small degrees with players returning and through better understanding of their scheme, but ultimately they need a better pass rush for the situations where down and distance works against them.

Finding that is a situation addressed in the draft and free agency, and not during this season.